Soderberg electrode suspension



Jan. 1, 1952 co -r 2,580,518

SGDERBERG ELECTRODE SUSPENSION Filed May 28, 1949 Patented Jan. 1, 1952UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Giampietro Conti, Milan, Italy,

assignor to Siemens Societa per Azioni, Milan, Italy, a corporation ofItaly Application May 28, 1949, Serial No. 95,996 In Italy June 1, 19484 Claims.

The present invention relates to a suspension for electrodes of theSiiderberg type as employed in electric arc-resistance furnaces.

Various systems have been experimented for the suspension of theseelectrodes, whose constitution, as known, is such as to allow forgetting hold only on a metal-sheet of thickness not over 2 mm.

The first suspensions utilized for the clamping of the electrodes thesame members that feed the electric current. These suspensions, based onthe use of clamps constituted by movable members, offer theinconvenience of compressing the electrode to such an extent as to causeinadmissible deformations.

The suspension by, means of straps is good from many points of view butdoes not permit to load the straps alone with the whole weight of theelectrode and, therefore, requires supplementary suspensions. Moreover,it easily happens that one of the straps slides before the others owingto differences in friction factors as determined by difierent conditionsof the contract surfaces. I

With the exception of the systems providing a big crane over the bay ofthe furnace, none of the conventional systems of suspension allows foreasy taking-on of the electrode.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate theabove-mentioned inconveniences by providing a suspension for elect odesof the Siiderberg type, which is essentially characterized in that theelectrode is supported by members penetrating into the electrode throughthe sheet-metal cylinder containing the electrode mixture.

It is also an object of theinvention to provide a set of recesses in theelectrode along one or two of its generating lines, into which recessesthe pointed ends of supporting members are made to penetrate, the saidsupporting members being provided above the conventional holdingsuspension cylinder hanging from the electroderegulation winch.

It is another object of the invention to provide electrode-supportingmembers resting on the holding suspension cylinder with theinterposition of sturdy springs designed to compensate possibleunbalanced loads on the said supporting members.

It is another object of the invention to provide electrode-supportingmembers supported in such a. manner as to allow for their beingdisplaced and orientated with respect to the recesses into which theyare to be fitted.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrode reinforcedby fiat steel bars of convenient thickness in register with thegenerating lines along which there are provided the recesses designed toreceive the supporting members, the said recesses being provided inthese flat steel bars.

Further features of the suspension proposed by the present inventionwill appear from the following description of one practical form ofembodiment, selected merely by way of example, and diagrammaticallyillustrated in the accompanying drawing.

The drawing shows in Fig; 1 a suspension according to the invention, invertical section along the line AB of Fig. 2; in Fig. 2, the samesuspension in plan, and, in Fig. 3, a detail of the electrode;

With reference to these three figures, I designates flat steel barsincorporated with the electrode 3 below the sheet-metal cylinder andwelded to the latter; each of these bars carries a set ofequally spacedrecesses 2 being in alignment with openings in the metal sheet cylinder;4 are members radially arranged in a'plane normal to the grooves in themembers 4, of such dimensions as,

to allow for displacement and orientation of each of said members 4, inits own plane with respect to a bolt 9 that ties it to the bearing plate1; 9 are two further bolts passing through the plates 1 and supportingthe said plates together with the bolt 9, on a suspension ring 8; I2 isthe conventional holding suspension cylinder guided by rolls l3 andbearing the above defined structure with the interposition of sturdyhelical springs I I.

In the form of embodiment-here considered by wayof example, eachelectrode 3 is supported at three equally spaced points by means of anequal number of supporting members 4, which with their pointed endsengage in the recesses 2 of the fiat steel bars I. Through thesesupporting members 4, the weight of the electrode is transmitted to thebearing plates 1, to the bolts 9, 9', to the suspension ring 8, to thesprings I I, to the holding suspension cylinder l2, which in a mannerknown in itself is supported by suspension members l4, l4 controlled bythe electrode-regulating winch l5.

This suspension allows for controlled extension and taking-on of theelectrode. To carry out these operations, the electrode is sustainedwith an auxiliary suspension (which may be constituted also by asuspension quite analogous to the type hereinbefore described, butarranged in another position along the electrode), the nuts Ill areunscrewed from the bolts 9, the handles 5 are gripped and the supportingmembers 4 are extracted from the respective recesses 2 of the electrode3. This displacement of the supporting members 4 is made possible by thegrooves 6. By acting upon the regulating winch, it is thus possible toraise or to lower the assembly of members mounted on the holdingsuspension cylinder 42, making possible the controlled extension of theelectrode in the former case and the taking-on of the electrode in thelatter case. To take up again operation with the main suspension, theholding cylinder I2 is stopped in the desired position and theoperations are carried out in the reverse order by introducing thesupporting members 4 into the recesses 2 of the fiat steel bars 1.Precision adjustment of the position of the supporting members 4 inheight is effected by acting upon the screws ii and 9'. If the auxiliarysuspension is loosened, the :main suspension takes the load and thesprings H compensate for any possible unbalanced loads on the supportingmembers 4.

The suspension hereinbefore described merely by way of example may bevaried in many ways as to the number and arrangement and shape of thecomposing members, without departing from the scope of the presentinvention.

I claim:

1. In an electric arc-resistance furnace, an electrode of the Soderbergtype, comprising a metal sheet cylinder containing an electrode mixture;a plurality of flat bars arranged in the electrode for rein orcing thesame along at least two of its generating lines; a plurality of recessesin each of said bars: a suspension for the electrode including aplurality of supporting members engaging said recesses, respectively; aholding suspension cylinder arranged below said supporting members andhanging from an electrode controlling winch; and resilient meansarranged between said supporting members and said suspension cylinder tocompensate for any unbalanced loads on said supporting members.

2. Holding device for a cylindrical 'Soderberg electrode, comprising incombination, a flat bar arranged in the cylindrical electrode forreinforcing the same along a generating line thereof; a plurality ofrecesses arranged along said bar; a supporting member displaceablyarranged in a plane substantially at right angles to the longitudinalaxis of the electrode and having a pointed end engaging one of saidrecesses; a bearing plate for said supporting member; a suspension ringarranged below said bearing plate a suspension cylinder arranged belowsaid sussaid supporting member; a screw bolt tying said pension ring;and resilient means carrying said supporting member to said bearingplate, said screw bolt penetrating loosely through said hole in saidsupporting member; means connected to said supporting member forwithdrawing it from the recess engaging position when said screw bolt isloosened; a suspension ring arranged below said bearing plate; andresilient means arranged between said bearing plate and said suspensionring. 4. In an electric arc-resistance furnace, an electrode of theSiiderberg type comprising a metal sheet cylinder having openings andcontaining electrode mixture, said openings being arranged along atleast two of the generating lines of said metal sheet cylinder;reinforcing means for said electrode arranged adjacent to said metalsheet cylinder inwardly thereof and having recesses aligned,respectively, with said openings in said metal sheet cylinder; .asuspension for said elec trode separate from a current carrying meansand including a plurality of supporting members engaging said alignedrecesses and openings; a holding suspension cylinder arranged below saidsupporting members and hanging from an electrode controlling winch, andresilient means carried by said suspension cylinder and carrying saidsupporting members to compensate for any unbalanced load on saidsupporting members.

- GIAMPIETRO CGNTI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,442,033 Sem et al. Jan; 9, 19231,774,674 Sem Sept. 2, 1936 1,928,854 Grolee Oct. 3, 1933 2,073,356'Torchet Mar. 9, 1937 2,169,563 Legeron Aug. 15, 1939 2,297,484 Lehreret al Sept. 29, 1.942.

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 63,096 Norway Jan. 6, 1941 454,584Great Britain. Oct. 5, .1936

